The Delhi government has issued a directive to hotels, clubs, and restaurants serving alcohol, instructing them to ensure compliance with the legal drinking age of 25 years.

Operators are now required to verify the age of customers using hard copies of government-issued identity documents. This decision comes after routine inspections by the excise department uncovered multiple instances of underage drinking at various establishments.

Officials revealed that some individuals under 25 years of age were found consuming alcohol by pretending to meet the age requirement. Complaints were also filed against excise licensees for serving alcohol to minors, leading the department to review these violations.

According to the Delhi Excise Act of 2009, it is illegal for anyone—whether a licensed vendor or their staff or agents—to sell or serve alcohol to individuals under the age of 25, whether for personal consumption or otherwise.

The excise department emphasized the importance of adhering to these guidelines, stating in a circular to license holders, “All license holders of hotels, clubs, and restaurants must be more vigilant and ensure that no individual under the age of 25 is served alcohol without verifying their age through government-issued ID cards.”

To further strengthen enforcement, the excise department has advised licensees to verify customer ages using physical IDs, rather than relying on virtual IDs stored on mobile phones.

The exception is for IDs stored in the Digilocker app. This step is aimed at preventing the use of fake or tampered digital IDs. Non-compliance with these legal age requirements will result in penalties and action.

The new directive highlights the government's commitment to ensuring responsible alcohol consumption and addressing concerns related to underage drinking.